and gardener.... and mom... and artist... and weightlifter... and... GRANDMA!!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Living room- BIG ole update and a "brief" story of color gone wrong

So when we last had a livingroom update, the Mad-Art Teacher was rethinking her whole "I can do it all, AND go ahead and conquer the world" attitude. Of course I still think I can conquer the world, but I just need to not try to do it all in one week.

Last Thursday I was laid low, REALLY low, by a nasty virus- which showed me that first of all, I am dispensable, as the children got along just fine without me for that big practice/performance for the play. gulp. Crow eaten, message understood. AND I need to make sure I am much more diligent about how I conduct myself when there is said nasty viruses spotted at the elementary school. As in, less touchy the children art teacher and more douse myself in hand sanitizer and good old soapandwater art teacher!! Anyway, when we last saw the livingroom, it was about to be mudded, taped, and primed, which you will find below here! It was an amazing thing to come home and see this, it really made things look great! Since then, the primer applied and then the weekend marathon of painting began!

I literally was either at the play or buying/prepping/painting/repainting the living room (or sleeping/eating) from Friday night until Monday morning. You think I jest???? Friday during the day I ordered the paint from Park Falls Builders (I will get to that story in a moment), then the play on Friday night. Saturday found me retrieving the paint, grocery shopping, spraying the furnace dealie right before having lunch, then rollering on the paint until I had to LEAVE for the play. At the play until 10:30. Get up Sunday morning, detest with my soul the darker of the colors (explanation to follow!), prep area for painting, paint light color, run to town for more makeup, prep area for painting, paint, eat quickly and go to play from noon until 6:30, come home and paint last of wall. The Mad-Accountant managed to be home for the last bit of rollering, which was nice, as I was able to do a little cleanup- very little, but still. Monday morning I got up to begin staining the wood trim at 7 to get done by 8, which is when the Builder came and I rushed off to a dental appointment and then to school to finish my grades! WHEW!!!

So the tale of the color- briefly- is this: The MA and I were perusing paint chips and I was definitely leaning towards a honey goldish color. I wanted two tones and we decided to make the ceiling the light color and I decided that one wall should accompany it. Then that of course leaves the other 3 with the darker color. I, of course, understand the uneven nature of composition, and my dear, symmetrical, analytical hubs does not. He kept wanting the walls to be divided into 2 dark and 2 light........ oh honey, no. Just no. So he asked me about 85 times where the 2 light wall were going to be- jeez. Now go make some poor tax payer cry, will you?? Anyway, we decided to go really dark and we chose the lightest and the darkest of the grouped paint chips. Now sometimes, I admittedly am dense. The name of the darkest color was "Golden Image". Had I not the ability to totally block out my home life during school and my school life whilst at home, I would have realized that "Golden Image" is YELLOW BRICK ROAD YELLOW- THE DARKER ONE!!! Good GRIEF!!! Which in and of itself is not bad, BUT I KNEW that Golden Image is a nasty ass color to work with. Transparent and streaky and obnoxious. And godknows how dark it is. Anyway, I painted the lighter color on, and didn't really like it too much, but that is typical of me. I always tell the kids at school- Don't make judgements about value until you get all the white of the canvas or paper covered and then adjust your tones. And this is what I had in mind!! So I start painting this Golden Image stuff and it SOON becomes apparent that I have worked with this beast before. It looks like hell when it goes on. But I kept saying to myself, get rid of the white, get rid of the white....... don't make judgements!!! Oy. I finished it and may I just say it was JARRING. It made me groan with displeasure.
But NEVER FEAR! Armed with my art teacher knowledge and having my friend Cat as my muse, I went ahead the next day (when I still detested the color, even more so in the morning light) and mixed my own damn color! I softened the color down to what I now call (I mean just this second named) Sunshine Honey and proceeded to erase most signs of the errant Golden Image. whew. I LOVE it. It is now so warm and lovely and I can't wait to see the floor all finished later today!! Ok, so maybe that was not a brief story, but you should know I underestimate my stories!

Anyway, when I got home from my day at the dentist, school, lunch (the electrician was at our house doing his electrical magic) and llllaaaaaa (that would be angels singing)- the GYM - I arrived home to beauty!!! Ceiling fan up, golden toned paint glowing, and a light in the middle of my livingroom. I walked in and the words- it's so pretty- fell from my mouth and I promptly sent pictures to many many MANY of my friends and relatives!!

I'm in love! And I have to shop!! For a few things, most notably a floor lamp. That would be tomorrow's adventure!

Pictures please!

Tape and Mud:

Tape and mud- frontroom angle

Kitchen angle

hallway angle

window angle

ceiling

Primer:

front room angle

kitchen angle

Hallway angle

Hallway angle

window angle

preparing to paint furnace thingies

cutting in corners, etc.

the beginning

***NOTE***

This is a group of pix that probably should never be seen, and yet here they are! I am sure my hotness factor has quadrupled in everyone's eyes after seeing the fashion forward painting ensemble I have donned- but that can't be helped. Everyone try not to drive here all at once to behold it in person, I think I am going to throw it away. And then there is that unfortunate color thing going on there......

Yellow brick road yellow- ugh

Tell me you don't see the similarity!!

The look of "this color will be gone by the time the play comes if it kills me" desperation

Before tape is removed- front room

kitchen angle

Note who is not listening to instructions and removing tape before photo journaling is complete!

Morning pic of paint job! Staining about to commence

Staining action to begin

This is where you should insert angels singing and so MUCH joy~

Ceiling fan and electricity!! Front room angle

Kitchen angle

Kitchen right

Kitchen left

Hallway right

Hallway left

Window view of arch

Today is the day the floors get sanded and refinished and I am going to make myself scarce! I have a date with the gym and then a nice pedi planned and then a run up to Glidden to visit my dear friend and muse, Cat. I am so anxious to see what it looks like when the floor is finished!!! I am so excited! Then the trim will be done and I want to touch up my arch plaster, and Thursday is move back in day!!!! And I get to collapse on my couch finally and do a little relaxing and find more than a little joy!!

2 comments:

Yes I was thinking the obvious...too much time contemplating the Yellow Brick Road and where it leads, my dear. I think you need a huge-monsterosous window v. what you have, at least taller. I think you should have gone with the beiger of the two yellows and them uses a Arabesques type 2'x2' stencil and put in a subtle pattern in the brighter color...(hee hee! The Munchins say it is so much more trendy...)

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About Me

I like travel, chocolate, art, adventures, wine, tequila, dark beer and German pretzels.... (Not necessarily in that order!) ;) and all the people that accompany me on these circles around the sun. xoxo